Silver.com Cook Islands Silver Coins

The continued fluctuation in global markets in the 21st century has resulted in sustained demand for gold and silver products. As the prices of precious metals remain high, investors and collectors are constantly on the lookout for new products and expanded offerings from mints, both sovereign and private alike. While many are accustomed to seeking out popular coins from programs such as the Silver American Eagle, Silver Canadian Maple Leaf, and Silver Chinese Panda lineups, it is not always possible to find these coins.

Although these programs have mintage levels in excess of 100,000 annually in most cases, the high demand for them that already exists often makes it impossible for a wide range of investors or collectors to get their hands on the piece they want. As a result, other mints around the world have stepped up production of silver coins and rounds to meet the gap in supply, while providing beautifully designed products at a lower premium over the spot price of silver.

Recently, exciting coin programs struck for the Cook Islands have grabbed the attention of numismatists. Silver.com is proud to carry many of these coins and has an overview of available products listed for you below.

The Silver Norse Gods

Introduced in 2015, the Silver Norse Gods Series celebrates the lesser-known gods of Norse mythology. People from antiquity had no way of explaining the events of the world that occurred around them, such as famine, disease, and natural disasters. In place of the science that explains these phenomena today, ancient peoples often created a complex mythology of godly beings who were assigned character traits that were associated with different occurrences, such as a god of lightning and storms or a goddess of love.

While many people, even today, are familiar with the gods of Greek or Roman mythology, Norse mythology was not as well known. The former civilizations had a worldwide grip at one point in human history, while the Viking warriors and Norsemen of Scandinavia largely spread across northern Europe, the UK, western Russia, and across the North Atlantic. Today though, more and more people are learning about Norse gods, thanks in no small part to the popularity of Thor in feature films and graphic novels.

Produced by the BH Mayer Mint of Germany, the Silver Norse Gods Series of ultra-high-relief rounds debuted with four designs in 2015 and was followed by five new designs in 2016. Each coin released in the series shared the following features:

Maximum total mintage per coin capped at 1,000!

Coins arrive in a themed presentation box and include a Certificate of Authenticity.

Consists of Two Troy oz of .999 fine silver.

Face value of each coin set at $10 that is considered legal tender in the Cook Islands.

All coins include an antique finish.

Each struck in Ultra-High Relief.

Each Silver Norse Gods Proof Coin is struck on an antique blank. Antiquing is a process that involves applying chemical treatments to a blank before the striking process. The result is a coin or round that appears to have decades worth of exposure to air and circulation, but has no physical flaws or defects of any kind. It offers all the patina of age, with none of the damage! Additionally, antique finishes add a subtle depth and warmth to any coin design.

On top of that, the Silver Norse Gods Proof Coins are ultra-high-relief proofs. This means the original silver blanks are struck under immense pressure through multiple strikings to give the design finish on each a greater 3D appearance.

All Silver Norse Gods coins share a common obverse design. You’ll find the image of Queen Elizabeth II captured in right-profile relief by Ian Rank-Broadley. His 1998 depiction of Her Majesty is the fourth-generation portrait to grace commonwealth coinage since she rose to the throne in 1952. On the reverse of each of the nine coins in the series you’ll find a different design, as detailed below:

2015 Odin Proof: On the reverse face of the coin is the image of Odin, sitting on his throne with a spear in his hand. His name is engraved above and below him, with the Norse language spelling featured above. Along the top of the coin is the name “Norse God.” Odin was considered the father of the gods in Norse mythology, similar to Zeus in Greek mythology.

2015 Thor Proof: Thor is one of the more popular gods in Norse mythology. He is known as the son of Odin, the father of all gods. Thor’s magical hammer is a well-known facet of comic book storytelling, and in Norse culture Thor is known as the god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, and strength. On the reverse face of the coin is the image of Thor wielding his infamous hammer.

2015 Tyr Proof: On the reverse of the coin is the image of Tyr who is depicted in his full armor with a sword in one hand, and a shield on the other arm. In a nod to accuracy, Tyr is depicted on the coin without a hand on his right arm. “Norse Gods” is engraved at the top along the outer rim, while “Try” is engraved above and below his image in English and Norse. Tyr was the god of war and victory. He was known for his courage and bravery, and is famously depicted in my drawings without a right hand.

2015 Hel Proof: Hel is one of the few female goddesses, and she is left in charge of the underworld. Her name is the derivative from which the English language gets its term for the underworld: hell. On the reverse face of the coin you’ll find the image of Hel, complete with a hood over her head and a wall of tortured souls behind her.

2016 Heimdall Proof: In Norse mythology, Heimdall was known as the keeper of heaven and the guardian of the rainbow bridge connecting the world of the gods to the world of men. Known as Bifrost, the bridge served as a connection between the gods’ Asgard and mankind’s Midgard. On the reverse face of the 2016 2 oz Silver Cook Islands Norse Gods Heimdall Proof Coin you’ll find the image of the god Heimdall in the center, guarding the Bifrost bridge as it shoots off into the background between Asgard and Midgard.

2016 Loki Proof: Brother of Thor and a son of Odin, the reverse of the Loki Proof features the imposing figure of the god Loki, complete with a horned helmet that masks his face. In the background, the design includes a horse, fish, and soaring eagle. Loki is known as the god of evil and had the power to transform himself into other beings. He was known to transform on a regular basis into creatures such as fish, horses, and birds.

2016 Frigg Proof: She was known as the patroness of marriage, motherhood, maternity, and fertility. While she was the wife of Odin, she was not the mother of his famous son Thor. Frigg was also blessed with the power to see the future, and her magic spindle allowed her to spin the threads of fate. On the reverse face of the 2016 2 oz Silver Cook Islands Norse Gods Frigg Proof coin you’ll find a portrait of Frigg sitting in the throne of Hlisdkialf. Aside from Odin, Frigg was the only Norse god allowed to sit on that throne.

2016 Freyr Proof: The reverse side of these ultra-high-relief proof coins bears the image of Freyr, the god of peace. Freyr is also known to rule over the weather, and in the design this is depicted with the elements of rain and sun. He was also known as the god of fertility who was responsible for watching over growth.

2016 Sif Proof: Sif was known more for her immense beauty than her relationship as the wife of Thor. Her long, golden blonde hair reminded many of a bountiful harvest of wheat and grains. In this way, her image was often associated with the occurrence of a good harvest season. The reverse side of the 2016 2 oz Silver Cook Islands Norse Gods Sif Proof coin features the image of a beautiful Sif, complete with her long locks of blonde hair.

Silver Mother of Pearl Monkey Design

Another popular coin issued for the Cook Islands is the Silver Mother of Pearl Coin. Although this particular coin has a lunar-themed design honoring the Year of the Monkey, it is actually part of a Mother of Pearl design series featuring different designs and not part of a Lunar Series from any mint.

The 2016 5 oz Silver Mother of Pearl Coin featured a unique Year of the Monkey design and has a mother of pearl finish on the reverse face that gives the coin a different look. The coins were minted with a very low total of just 888 coins. Each one consists of Five Troy ounces of .999 fine silver and was issued a legal tender face value of $25 for the nation of Cook Islands. The coins shipped in presentation boxes that included a Certificate of Authenticity from the New Zealand Mint, and included the following details:

On the obverse is the familiar right-profile portrait image of Queen Elizabeth II. The image chosen for this coin is that which was designed in 1998 by Ian Rank-Broadley as the fourth-generation effigy of Her Majesty to grace currency in the Commonwealth nations. Meanwhile, the reverse side of the coin features the image of a family group of monkeys huddled together amongst the foliage on the ground. Visible in the image are a male and female adult monkey with a younger monkey in front of them. Engravings include “Year of the Monkey” and the face value of “25 Dollars.”

About BH Mayer Mint

BH Mayer Mint is located in Germany, where it first opened its doors for business in 1871. The company expertly crafts a variety of numismatic products ranging from commemorative coins and medals to legal tender issue products and other precious metals. A family-owned entity, BH Mayer Mint is now in its fifth generation of management and guidance, with some of its core principles remaining in place since it opened more than 140 years ago.

About the New Zealand Mint

Although the mint has a brand name that insinuates it holds status as a sovereign mint, the New Zealand Mint does not print any paper bank notes or circulation coinage for the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and the national government. All New Zealand Dollar paper notes and coins are produced overseas by either the Royal Mint of London or the Royal Canadian Mint.

The New Zealand Mint is a private company with its headquarters in the capital of Auckland. The mint excels in producing legal tender collectible coins, gold bullion products, and medallions. It was founded over 40 years ago, and today it is the only precious metal mint located in New Zealand. Key to its status and brand identity in the precious metals market, the New Zealand Mint boasts that it was one of the world’s first mints to adopt .9999 purity as a standard in its gold bullion products.

What are the Cook Islands?

The Cook Islands are a chain of 15 islands located in the South Pacific between French Polynesia and American Samoa. Among the first to settle on the islands were Polynesian people who migrated from Tahiti in the 6th century, with the first foreign visitors arriving on Spanish ships in the 16th century. The islands got their eventual name courtesy of British navigator Captain James Cook, who arrived on the islands in 1773 and again in 1777. However, he originally gave the islands the name of the Harvey Islands. It wasn’t until 1820 when a Russian navigation chart used the name Cook Islands that the name stuck.

Today, there are just 14,974 people living across the 15 islands of the Cook Islands chain. The vast majority of people are of Maori descent, and more than 10,000 live in the cities of Rarotonga, where the international airport is located. The nation exists in a state of self-governance and free association with New Zealand, who provides for the defense and foreign affairs of the islands.

Purchasing Silver Cook Islands Coins on Silver.com

When you purchase Silver Cook Islands Coins on Silver.com, you’ll find a number of payment methods available to complete your transaction. We accept Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards, as well as paper checks, Pay Pal transfers, and bank wire transfers. Credit and debit cards have a maximum purchase of $5,000 and generally take one business day to process.

Paper checks have a 4% discount relative to credit and debit cards, as well as a higher maximum of $40,000, but take four to six business days to process. Pay Pal transfers are capped at $60,000 and process instantaneously. Bank wire transfers have the only minimum purchase, at $2,000, but also have the highest maximum at $100,000 and process instantaneously.

Silver.com offers an affordable, tiered shipping schedule. All purchases in excess of $3,000 qualify for free standard shipping and insurance. With any purchase, expedited shipping is available for an extra fee. The United States Postal Service or UPS will handle shipping of all goods.

All Silver.com products are packaged in discreet boxes for shipping to conceal the identity of your products while in transit. Should your packages suffer damage or become lost/stolen, Silver.com will work to correct the situation. For lost or stolen products, we work with the carriers to try and locate the packages. If your products are damaged, we try to provide replacement products, but are often limited to available supplies. If all else fails, Silver.com will file an insurance claim on your behalf to recover your purchase price.

If you have any further questions about Silver Cook Islands Coins, please don’t hesitate to ask Silver.com. Our associates are available on the phone at 888-989-7223, or you can connect with us online using our live web chat and email features.